Homemade Fruit Roll-ups

It’s about time for my afternoon nap but I thought I would share my new favorite treat with you first. I love to buy fruit, makes me feel like a really good mom. Sometimes, we eat it and sometimes we don’t. And I hate to see pretty fruit go bad. I also really love candy, all types of candy. Gummy candy, hard candy, chocolate candy, fruit candy….I love it all. So does Anna….go figure. Fruit roll-ups have always been a favorite of mine and when I discovered how easy it was to make your own, it was a win-win. These are addictive little treats that are truly nothing more than fruit and honey. Which means it’s an easy way to trick your kids….which in itself is lots of fun and deeply satisfying.

I have made three batches now, partly because they disappear quickly (the hubby loves them too) and because I somewhat ruined the first two batches. Don’t worry though….these really are easy…I only ruined them because I thought I could cut a few corners. Shocking, I know.

Step one: buy fruit. I started with strawberries. For one cookie sheet’s worth, I would recommend at least two regular size cartons of strawberries (I think they are 2 lbs. per carton, but can’t quite remember), however three is probably perfect. I used fresh strawberries but I would think frozen strawberries should work just fine as well. Hull and half em….

And throw em in a saucepan….

Cook them on low for roughly 15 minutes….until they get juicy….

When they look like that….add some honey. It’s up to you how much, I use a couple tablespoons.

Throw all of it in your food processor and puree to your heart’s content.

When you have a smooth puree, pour into a lined cookie sheet. I cannot stress to you enough the importance of lining your cookie sheet. This is how I ruined the first batch, pouring it directly onto the cookie sheet. I lost half the batch because I couldn’t get it off, I had to soak it in water to get it off the pan which of course ruined whatever was on there. It was a sad moment. I used parchment paper from that point forward, I have seen sites that say foil or even plastic wrap work too. Plastic makes me nervous in the oven and foil doesn’t seem like it would be as smooth, but if you are in need of a dare….if you haven’t taken a good risk in awhile….use some plastic wrap and feel the rush….

Then pop it in your oven at the lowest temperature it will go. Some ovens will go down to 150, mine won’t go lower than 170. You aren’t baking these, you are drying them out. This is how I ruined batch number two….thought I could speed up the process and cooked it between 200 and 250….and made strawberry chips. Yum…..    So try, just try to be patient and let it cook all day. Yea…all day. Just leave it in there….for at least 6-8 hours. The time will depend on how thick you made yours, check it at 6 hours and if you can press on it and it’s set, meaning you can’t feel puree squishing around underneath the surface, you’re good. If by chance, you let it dry out too much, use a pastry brush with some water and lightly brush the surface to soften it back up. It should peel away from the lining nicely when its done. It will also soften a bit after you let it sit out at room temperature.

When they are cooled, cut them into strips and roll them up in wax paper or parchment paper. If you lined your cookie sheet with parchment paper, just cut them with scissors on the parchment paper and roll them up. See how strategic that is? I stored mine in a Ziploc bag at room temperature. Perfect. I can’t wait to try this with peaches and a combination of blueberries and raspberries. Have fun!

Homemade Fruit Roll-ups

Recipe from a million different websites.....

Ingredients:

• 4-6 lbs. of strawberries or other fruit
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

• Half and hull your berries and place in a medium saucepan. Cook on low 15 minutes, or until they start to get juicy. Add honey. Puree in a food processor or blender and spread evenly in a lined cookie sheet.
• Cook at 170 or lower a minimum of 6-8 hours, until the puree is dried and pulls easily away from the lining. Let cool, cut into strips and either serve or store in a Ziploc bag.